PS3 discriminates HDTVs without 720p
True enough, not many people will really care about this but it sure is a weird thing to happen. Nowadays the most common HDTV resolution employed is 720p, or 1280×720 pixels progressively rendered, but there used to be a time where the standards weren’t so set in stone. PS3 owners with an HDTV from that era might end up with some strange resolutions.
As it turns out, when the Playstation 3 detects that an output source does not support 720p, it will scale back to 480p output instead, even if the television does support the far more desirable 1080i, or 1920×1080 interlaced, output format to which it could easily upscale. IGN performed some tests and found that this indeed happens:
We tested this development on older HDTV sets with games designed for 720p but not 1080i — Resistance: Fall of Man, NHL 2K7, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, and Need for Speed Carbon. Sure enough, the system downshifted all four titles to 480p rather than moving up to 1080i. This issue came up with either a digital HD video connection (using an HDMI cord) and an analog HD video connection (using component cables.)
Or not…?
In comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will correctly upscale 720p to 1080i if the connected output source is not compatible with 720p data. As IGN contacts Sony spokespersons, silence ensued, and as of now it’s not known whether this is a hardware or software problem, and what can be done to remedy this behaviour.
Thanks BadMon1906 for drawing our attention to this!
Dang. That will need to be fixed in a firmware update soon.
Its true. I played Resistance and the PS3 downscaled the resolution to 480p which did not look good. When I spoke to a Sony rep. he mentioned that it was left up to the software manufacture what resolution the game would support. I would think that Sony would provide a firmware update to correct the issue.
The PS3 is one of the most ill-conceived console launches I’ve seen since the Atari Jaguar. Just the lack of rumble in the controller is a big turn-off. I think I’ll do like the HD movie formats and wait this off until a clear console winner comes out next year.
I’m learning this the hard way and it’s really pissing me off. It’s absolutely ridiculous that Sony doesn’t state these compatibility issues. No where is it listed on the box or documentation. Basically if you don’t have 720p and or 1080p you are screwed. Several reports say this affects older HDTVs that don’t support 720p/1080p. I have a Sony and Zenith HD tv set. Is a 2 year old and a 3 year old CRT based HDTV set really old school? I run HD cable service and the XBOX360 and run everything at 1080i. ZERO problem and never would have even thought it would be an issue.
Basically - I’m playing Gears of War at 480p - no 1080i support at all. While 480p is not shabby it’s not HD and doesn’t provide widescreen viewing.
Playing BluRay movies at 1080i makes my Zenith turn on and off every 7-8 seconds. It’s annoying because when I can see it running at 1080i it’s great for 7 seconds then the screen blanks out for 4 seconds. On occasions I was able to watch a complete BluRay movie without it flicking on and off.
On another note… setting up the wireless connection was a real pain in the butt. I had to completely change my wireless security setup just to get it to connect. It took me two days just to figure out how to get online. It’s embarrassing considering I’ve setup maybe a dozen wireless appliances in the past without a hitch.
I’ve never encountered a console machine with so many fatal flaws. And I mean “FATAL” flaws. I’ve already got this piece of sh#$*@t on Craigslist because I simply don’t need this much aggravation to play video games.
The new CEO of Sony Entertainment I squarely blame with these problems.
I’m a big Sony fan and was rooting for the PS3. I bought the XBOX360 last year as an “interim” machine while I waited for the PS3. The logic was to sell my XBOX360 after getting the PS3. Now after just owning the PS3 for less than a week, I’m fed up with the continued list of problems.
Observation: I’ve been switching back and forth between playing the XBOX 360 and PS3 and I’m having a hard time believing that the top rated game Resistance Fall of Man for the PS3 is a “next generation” game. I’m playing Gears of War and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfare on the XBOX 360 and by far they are superior games to Resistance (not just in graphics but in overall gameplay).
I’m let down. Dismayed. I admit that I bash Microsoft on a lot of things but in the console wars. Sony has taken second position.